Netflix will give three films an exclusive run in theaters before making them available on its streaming service.

Up until now, Netflix has steadfastly insisted on releasing films in theaters only simultaneously with their streaming premiere. Netflix's major pivot will give a handful of its most anticipated movies a stand-alone run in a relatively small number of theaters. Major chains still refuse to screen films that don't adhere to an exclusive 90-day window.

Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma," the Coen brothers' "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and the Sandra Bullock-starring thriller "Bird Box" will play in theaters for one to three weeks before premiering on Netflix.

The move could aid the Oscar aspirations of "Buster Scruggs" and, in particular, "Roma," which critics have hailed as one of the year's best.